Police and ThievesAs things begin to go awry for Gustave and Zero, they find themselves pursued
by the Captain of the Lutz Military Police: Albert Henckels, played by Edward
Norton, who worked with Anderson previously on MOONRISE KINGDOM. "Henckels is
after Gustave as a fugitive," Norton explains. "But, at the same time, he knows
in his gut there's something not quite right, and he actually likes this guy, so
I'd call him a reluctant pursuer. He's the law, but he smells something else is
afoot."

Norton also points to some of the unique behind-the-scenes camaraderie on the
production. "I think for a lot of actors in my generation, Wes has been a kind
of polestar of personal creative vision. He does something that is uniquely
heartfelt, yet hilarious. Wes's films are a lot like this story in that they
create an alternative kind of family, which is very romantic for actors. The
cast is a blend of some of Wes's old gang with a new gang and there was great
camaraderie. It was almost like he cultivated among the cast and the crew the
feeling of The Society of the Crossed Keys - the concierges of all the great
hotels of the world - who have this complete sense of unity when called upon."

When the law does catch up with Gustave, he finds himself in the least
imaginable of places for a man of his sensibilities: Check-point 19 Criminal
Internment Camp, a dank, medieval-era prison, surrounded by barbed wire and a
moat full of crocodiles. He soon befriends four fellow inmates and winds up at
the center of an elaborate escape plot they've cooked up. The brains of the plot
is Ludwig, an especially rough, tattooed convict with a bald head, played by
Harvey Keitel, who also appeared in MOONRISE KINGDOM, and for whom Anderson
wrote the part.